Name: Tofu Lettuce Wraps
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 (14 oz) block firm or extra-firm tofu; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1 small white onion (diced); 2 green onions (sliced, white and green parts separated); 2-4 cloves garlic (minced); 2 teaspoons minced ginger; 1 8 oz can water chestnuts (drained and chopped); 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 3 tablespoons vegan oyster or hoisin sauce; 1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce (optional); 1 head iceberg or butter lettuce (leaves separated, rinsed well); shredded carrots; chopped toasted peanuts (cashews or sliced almonds); fresh cilantro; crispy rice noodles

One of my favorite healthy dinner recipes. It's high in protein, full of flavor, and perfect for when you're craving something easy and fresh.

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These Tofu Lettuce Wraps are an amazing choice when you want something fresh, crisp, and tasty. A warm, savory filling inside of some crisp lettuce leaves is just a perfect combination for a nutritious and delicious meal.

If you’re a vegan or vegetarian that’s ever been to PF Chang’s, you probably know that you can get their lettuce wraps made without the standard chicken. Instead, they give you lettuce cups filled with a stir-fried vegetable mixture. We kick that concept up a notch by adding in crumbled tofu as well.

This vegan recipe is so good that I can personally guarantee it would knock PF Chang’s MF Socks off.

Why You’ll Love These Vegan Lettuce Wraps

This dish is great year-round but it’s especially delightful on a hot summer day! The cold, crispy lettuce mixed with the warm, savory tofu filling is refreshing and makes for a fantastic, light dinner.

These healthy wraps are made with fresh, simple ingredients, plant-based protein, and packed with fiber, so you can eat well knowing you’re putting good stuff into your body!

This is also a great vegan meal prep recipe, since you can make a big batch of the filling and divvy it up into smaller portions for the week ahead.

Aside from using the tofu filling for lettuce wraps, you can also serve it in rice bowls or over noodles!

Ingredients for Tofu Lettuce Wraps

Tofu. This is the base for this recipe. It provides the protein and a lot of the textural experience. And as we all know, tofu is amazing at soaking up a delicious sauce. Firm or extra-firm tofu works best in this dish. Softer tofu varieties aren’t recommended!
- Pressing your tofu isn’t strictly necessary but it is recommended. You can either use a tofu press or do it the old fashioned way: wrapping your tofu in a clean kitchen towel (or paper towels) and weighing it down with a heavy object. If you don’t press your tofu, you’ll have to cook the tofu longer in order to cook out the excess liquid.
- Feel free to sub in a different vegan protein if your into that. Vegan beef crumbles, vegan chicken pieces, soy curls. Whatever you choose will probably be great in here!
Butter or iceberg lettuce. This comes down to preference! I love iceberg lettuce because it’s super crisp and hydrating. Butter lettuce (such as Bibb lettuce) has a softer texture and the leaves are the perfect size for vegan tofu lettuce wraps. You can even use romaine lettuce leaves to make little “boats” if you like.
Onion, scallions, garlic, and ginger. These are going to pack tons of flavor into our tofu mixture. So good!
Water chestnuts. These add a super satisfying crunch to every bite!
Vegan oyster sauce (or hoisin), and chili garlic sauce (sambal oelek). These are going to add flavor that tie the whole dish together, adding a little bit of savory, sweet, and spicy to our tofu filling.
- You can use either vegan oyster sauce or hoisin sauce. Both are super flavor-packed and will vibe well in this recipe. They’re just a little different. Oyster sauce has a more robust, savory, umami flavor, whereas hoisin is a little bit lighter, sweeter, and tangier. Go with whichever speaks to your soul!
Soy sauce. This is going to add a hit of that classic umami flavor. Feel free to sub in a gluten-free alternative such as coconut aminos or tamari.
Optional toppings. You can add a variety of different toppings to your tofu lettuce wraps, but my go-to additions are shredded carrot, chopped toasted peanuts, sliced avocado, toasted sesame seeds and fresh cilantro. A drizzle of toasted sesame oil or crispy rice noodles are both delicious too!

How to Make Tofu Lettuce Wraps

In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry onion and the white parts of the scallion over medium-high heat until onion is translucent.
Toss in your garlic, ginger, and chili-garlic sauce. Cook for a few minutes until garlic and ginger are tender. By this point, your kitchen should be smelling real nice.
Crumble tofu directly into the pan and stir-fry until golden brown. If you didn’t press your tofu, you’ll have to cook out the excess moisture before it begins browning.
- If not using tofu, add in your protein of choice at this point.
Add in water chestnuts, oyster or hoisin sauce and the green parts of the green onions. Stir-fry for a few extra minutes.
To serve, pile your filling into your lettuce leaves and top with whichever additions you please.

Storage and Reheating

The tofu filling will stay good in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Just keep your lettuce separate from your filling until you’re ready to eat.

To reheat, simply pop the filling in the microwave or back into a pan and heat it up over the stove.

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